Coin-actuated signal apparatus



(No Model.)

11.11. MASON. COIN AGTUATED SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Patented Jam-11, 1898.

asses Inventor. zfl 445/64 6 wwm I Attorney5 UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

IIEBER R. MASON, OF LUDINGTON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MASON TELE- PHONE PAY STATION (10., LIMITED, OF MASON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

COlN-ACTUATED SIGNAL APPARATUS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,362, dated January 11, 1898.

Application filed June 11 1897. Serial No. 640,328. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, I-IEBER It. MASON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ludington, in the county of Mason and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coin-Actuated Signal Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of coin-actuated signal apparatus in which the payment of the required sum is indicated to the central operator by electrical signals caused by the coin in successively making and breaking an electrical circuit during its passage through the signal-box.

Among the special features of my invention are the provision of means for causing the coin to drop vertically upon the switch-levers, the provision of fixed or stationary chutes for guiding the coin and keeping it on edge, the provision of switch-levers which are adapted to respond instantly to the impact of the coin, the provision of means for the escape of a coin less than the required denomination, and the provision of a primary battery-circuit for 2 5 the signal mechanism independent of that of the local-telephone station. It will be evident that the principal value of an apparatus of this kind depends on its accuracy in'producing the signals and the uniformity of the signals produced. Itis therefore essential that the contacts be certain, prompt, positive, and of equal duration; and the primary object of my invention is to provide apparatus for accomplishing these results.

3 5 In the followingdescription reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of the ordinary telephone apparatus to which my invention is applied, with my sig- Ilfl-l-bOX drawn in section on a line cutting the left-hand chute-sections. Fig. 2 is a sectional view drawn on the line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a top view of the free end of the upper coinactuated lever. Fig. i is a cross-section of the same drawn on line Y Y of Fig. 3, showing a coin of less than the required denomination falling through the rear end of the slot in the lever and a second coin of the correct denomination in position to actuate the lever,the upper portion of the coin being broken away. Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the coin-actuated levers as viewed from the front and its connections to the induction-coil and battery. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the adjusting-bolt, showing its supporting-bracket in section. 5 5

Like parts are identified by the same reference-letters throughout the several views.

A is an inclosing signal-box.

B is an inclosed frame to which the signal mechanism is attached.

O is an ordinary cell-battery.

D is an induction-coil connected with the battery O, and F F are the coin-conveying chute-sections leading from the slots f in the top of the box and discharging into a till F. 6 5

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the chutes are permanently located in their respective positions, and the sections arealternately disposed in adjacent columns and are adapted to hold the coin in an upright positionthat is, on edge. The sections of each series communicate successively at their overlapped ends, the series shown in said figure being the left-hand series of Fig. 1 and being intended to receive the coins of largest denominations.

G G are coin-actuated levers, each fulcrumed to the frame B at points 9 and provided with elbow-arms I'I, elastically connected to an adjusting-bolt I by means of a spring J. The free ends of the levers G proj ect between the downwardly-extending sides of the sections and close the latter at their lower ends, the upper surface of each lever being inclined to facilitate the passage of the 8 5 coin into the next section of the series, and the springs J are each so adjusted by means of the bolts I that the weight of the coin will depress the lever into contact with an adjustable contact-pin K, which is supported 0 by and electrically insulated from a bracket L, extending from any convenient point on the adjacent section. \Vhen the coin escapes from the lever, the reaction of the spring J draws the free end of the lever upwardly out 5 of contact with the pin K and into position to be actuated by the next coin.

L is a stop-pin for limiting the upward movement of the lever. Iprefer to use springs for retracting the levers instead of counter- Ioo weights, owing to the fact that the inertia of the counterweights overcomes the force of the impact of the coin, while the springs yield readily to such impact and permit of a much more positive and certain contact. Both the contact-pin and the stop-pin are screwthreaded and are therefore easily adjusted in their screw-threaded bearings in the supportingbrackets, thus permitting the lever to be set at the proper angle to receive the impact of the coin and to discharge it into the next section.

The lever G and contact'pins K K areelectrically connected with the respective poles of the battery G, and the induction-coil D being included in the circuit it is obvious that as the lever is brought into contact with the pin K by the weight and impact of the coin the primary circuit is completed and a current induced upon the line-wire, the effect of which is to produce a sharp signal or click in all telephones in the circuit as the (liaphragm is depressed by the electric magnet. It is obvious that this signal will be repeated by each lever in the series of sections through which the coin passes.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be observed that I have provided the signal-box with a series of chutes, each series having a different number of sections and leading from different slot-openings in the top of the box through a curved passage-way f leading to the initial chute-section, and adapted to prevent the coin from being forced into contact with the initial lever with a greater momentum than that acquired by falling through the section. The right-hand slot is adapted to receive nickels and has but a single chute-section and contact-lever. The next slot is adapted to receive dimes, with a series of two chutesections leading therefrom, and each succeeding slot is provided with one more section and contact-lever than the one on itsright. It is obvious, therefore, that as the coins are dropped into the slots adapted to receive them a nickel will produce a single signal, while a dime will produce two signals in succession, &c., the number of signals increasing with the'size of the coins required. In the construction shown the signals produced by a single silver dollar will be five in number. Should a coin of less than the required size be dropped into any of the openings, it drops through the slot M in the front end of the lever G and upon the rounded or inclined surface V of the next section below, from which it escapes directly to the till without actuating any of the levers. Having thus described my invention, wha I clalm as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. The combination with the ordinary telephone apparatus, of asignal-bbx having slots in its upper surface adapted to receive coins of various denominations, a plurality of chutes communicating with the slots and arranged in rigid vertically-disposed sections, each of which is adapted to hold the coins in a vertical or edgewise position while dropping therethrough, coin actuated switchlevers closing the lower end of the chute-sections, and positioned to discharge the coin I a vertical or edgewise position while dropping therethrough, coin-actuated switch-levers closing the lower ends of the chute-sections and adapted to discharge the coins therefrom, one or more of said levers being slotted to permit the passage of coins of less than the required denomination, electrically-insulated contact-pins located in the path of said le vers, a battery having its poles connected respectively with the switch-levers and contactpins, and an'indu'ction-coil included in the battery and secondary telephone circuits, all arranged and operated for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the ordinary telephone apparatus, of a signal-box having slots in its upper surface adapted to receive coins of various denominations, a plurality of chutes communicating with said slots, and arranged in vertically-disposed sections, coinactuated switch-levers closing the lower ends of the chute-sections and adapted to permit the,discharge of the coin therefrom, said levers being provided with upwardly-projecting elbow-arms at their rear ends, springs adjustably connecting said elbow-arms with the framework of the signal-box, and adapted to support the free ends of the levers in the path of the coins dropping through the sections, electrically-insulated contact-pins located-in the path of the levers, a battery having its poles connected respectively with the switch-levers and contact-pins and an induction-coil included in the battery and secondary telephone circuits, all arranged and operating for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with the ordinary telephone apparatus, of a signal-box having slots in its upper surface, a plurality of chutes communicating with said slots and arranged in sections adapted to permit the coins to drop vertically therein, coin-actuated switch-levers closing the lower ends of the chute-sections, and adapted to permit the discharge of the coin therefrom, springs for holding said levers in a position to be actuated by the coin,

electrically-insulated contact-pins located in the path of the switch-levers, a battery having its poles connected respectively with the switch-levers and contact-pins, and an induction-coil included in the battery and seclIO sections, and a normally open battery-circuit located within said signal-box, and adapted to be closed by said switch-levers, when actuated by the impact of the coin dropping thereon, and an induction-coil included in the hattery and secondary telephone circuits, all arranged and operating for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HEBER R. MASON.

Witnesses:

EUGENE C. Bonn, W. L. HAMMOND. 

